Single Mother Mira Kulkarni Built Rs 8,300 Crore Empire from Rs 2 Lakh Investment

• Mira Kulkarni, a single mother, founded Forest Essentials in 2000 with just ₹2 lakh, transforming her love for Ayurveda into a luxury skincare brand.
• Starting with handmade soaps and oils, her vision was to blend traditional Ayurvedic formulations with modern luxury aesthetics.
• Forest Essentials gained international recognition, leading to a minority stake acquisition by Estée Lauder, boosting its global presence.
• Today, the company operates over 130 stores in India, exports to 120+ countries, and is valued at ₹8,300 crore with annual revenues of ₹432 crore.
• Kulkarni overcame skepticism as a woman entrepreneur, proving that indigenous Ayurvedic knowledge could thrive in the luxury beauty market.

Why It Matters: Mira Kulkarni's journey exemplifies resilience, turning a small investment into a multi-crore Ayurvedic luxury brand.